OT: Charlie Batch straight offering $1M for Caleb Williams to EMU
"But you can't straight out offer NIL money to induce players to your school!!! RULES!"
The wild wild west is going to be fun. I don't know if Charlie has any association with EMU other than alumni. p.s. TJ Lang of Packers and Lions (and EMU) is backing this up as well.
Unless rules change if a player is a wildly successful freshman or RS freshman many will immediately hit the portal and sell themselves to the highest bidder. There is no salary cap and a lot of hungry investors.
What if ABC team had a billionaire with F*** you money (i.e $50M a year is chump change) who through back channels let CJ Stroud know $8M is the price if they want to move on over. Free markets are fun. It's happening... just not through the churches in South Carolina anymore.
January 6th, 2022 at 2:40 PM ^
In theory the NCAA could put a stop to a lot of this by cracking down on transfers and making them more onerous (sit out two years, lose a year of eligibility, etc). They won't and shouldn't but they certainly could.
January 6th, 2022 at 4:51 PM ^
Yes, introducing the Portal and NIL at the same time will not end well. Unlimited free agency with no salary cap.
You should have to sit out a year after transferring like you used to.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
Hard to predict, but I could see one scenario where Michigan would benefit from the Wild West b/c Alabama, Georgia etc. suffer more. Michigan has an ability to attract the small of significant fraction of players that might take moderate NIL at Michigan (education/coaching/team character package like DPJ) over the absolute highest bid at TN etc. The more Caleb Williams that go to EMU or Miami or Baylor rather than AL/GA prob is a good thing...
January 6th, 2022 at 12:26 PM ^
If this is the new Wild West, it’s time to become champions of the west…..
January 6th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
I'm all for these kids getting paid but CFB is now literally just an unregulated shit tier NFL-lite.
I really liked watching this sport for the kids that truly loved their schools and fought hard for them.
Feels like that day and age are done and I'm struggling to justify why I'd continue to watch this.
January 6th, 2022 at 4:53 PM ^
The Portal is more of a problem than NIL. Just being able to up and leave your team for a better offer without sitting out a year is crazy.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
Why haven't we offered 10M? Lets just take off the training wheels to NIL. Offer 10M per year - I love JJ, but this guy has already done a lot. I know he's not coming here, but make a statement. Offer 10M and let a USC or others offer more. Pull a "mr wonderful". Drive the price up and see who really came to play.
January 6th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
As predicted, NIL in effect legalizes bagmen. There will be some chaos as new pecking order gets sorted out, but I look forward to new status quo. It will surely be different than the current status quo empowering the conference with the most flagrant "cheating" infrastructure, who the NCAA never holds to account, for fear of alienating its pet network/cheering section.
January 6th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
College football used to be about the team. About being part of something bigger than yourself. At least, that was the facade. Now it's about selling yourself to the highest bidder. It's more fair how it is now, but it's also something I'm less likely to watch and feel invested in.
January 6th, 2022 at 4:58 PM ^
Michigan had a great season, and I'm glad for that. After many, many years of fandom (and being a joyful Michigan alum), it's a good time for me to opt out. Not that anyone else ought to care, and not that millions of fans won't be perfectly happy with what's happening. That's up to them.
Michigan, the university, means a lot to me and my family; we're all alums. Having real students play is part of the enjoyment and feeling of loyalty I have re: Michigan football. Sure, it's an illusion that certain players have been playing for the school. But it makes me happy to think so. Sue me.
I realize the sport's been heading this way for a long time. That's fine, maybe it's even a good thing in terms of fairness, given the money involved in college ball.
I simply don't have an interest in pro sports. As far as I know, only the Ivy League plays students who were admitted to the school on merit, like anyone else, and offers no athletic scholarships. I like that model. I'm not saying it's better. It just works better for me.
January 8th, 2022 at 2:20 AM ^
Ok, this is beyond what I thought it would be.
signed, Mr. Obvious.